2018-2019 Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

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II this morning! OOS Complete 9/2. Does the interview location indicate the campus you'll attend?

Congrats on the II.

No, the interviews alternate between East Lansing and Grand Rapids, but do not impact where you will be placed. When accepted, you can list your campus preference.
 
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II this morning, IS complete 9/2
 
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II this morning! Submitted 9/6. On hold as of last week. IS.
Were you on hold for only a week then? I was put on hold today and it additionally said applicants are normally reviewed again in January for II. Did your hold status say the same?
 
My application says "Your application has been reviewed and is on hold for comparison to the larger applicant pool. Your status will change after an interview decision is made. Most applications that are held for an interview decision are reviewed again in January."

How's the chance of an actual interview? Or is a hold a soft R based off of previous threads? (I'll search in a bit)
On hold too. Do you know if they always wait until January?
 
Hey All,

I'm applying this cycle and just got a pre-II reject from MSU CHM. I'm just at a bit of a loss. I know that this process is opaque, that it's multifactorial and largely random, and that later applicants (I was complete in mid-September here) are at a disadvantage. However, I've already been admitted to one DO (similar admissions stats), waiting on several other DO interview results, got a hold at Drexel (better stats), and completed a phone II at WMU (better stats and more selective in general). I have one reach school rejection - otherwise, just waiting on about a dozen more apps.

I certainly don't want to bitch and moan, as I'm very happy and excited to be holding an acceptance anywhere! I just want to get a hold on what might have been the nail in the coffin for my chances at MSU. I love the school and felt that my secondaries here were some of my strongest, most heartfelt essays. I'm an in-state student with a solid academic record from a top midwest school and rock-solid ECs and LORs. I want to go into primary care, and I know that MSU touts its chops as a PCP-churner. Is MSU really high on URM? Research? I certainly doubt it given my lower than average GPA, but is there any chance that yield protection is in play here? Just want to gauge how pessimistic I should be for other schools, as this is the least competitive in-state program I applied to...

I appreciate any and all feedback or comments. Thanks in advance for anyone who decides to sate my neuroticism and I apologize if this is weirdly verbose!
========================================================================================
Goal: Residency in Internal Medicine - most likely looking to pursue primary care but open to sub-specialties of IM, as well as FM, Peds.
State of Residence: Michigan
ORM
Undergrad: Top-20 (logo is a dead giveaway), graduated 2015 with a B.A. in their Great Books program and a minor in Business Economics.
Postbac: Harvard Extension, one year (31 credits of work), finished 2018
Stats: LM 68+. Skewed High MCAT, Low GPA, but with good science upward trend and good undergraduate major GPA.
Clinical Experience: 2.5 years as a medical scribe, became a manager within 3 months and recently a regional manager, have been implementing new programs in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, and Peds, with experience working in Uro, Ortho, ID, PM&R, and Derm. Also worked as an implementation consultant for Epic Systems for about 8 months. Worked while I was in college and postbac.
Volunteering: 100 hours assistant coach of a basketball team (though this was in high school...), 70 hours hospice volunteering (much more recent), 30 hours with a religious group; Recently started a 200 hour-program in the coming 12 months through a suicide hotline outreach program (wrote about this in a secondary).
Research: ~500 hours spent on my senior thesis, but this was humanities research (Modernist literature and Sociology); ~30 hours spent as a volunteer data digger on a project through Harvard Medical School's Program in Global Surgery and Social Change. No publications.
Personal Statement: Personal struggles with anxiety, depression, panic disorder; sickness of family members also profoundly influenced my desire to work in medicine.
Secondaries: discussed hobbies, passions (including basketball, literature) and how these tie into my passion for medicine and healing.
LOR: 6 letters: Postbac committee letter, Thesis advisor, Chem prof, Hospice volunteer coordinator, Regional manager of my scribe company (paid employment), MD I scribed for in Family medicine.
Complete at most schools in Mid-August, but finished a few in Mid-September.
 
Hey All,

I'm applying this cycle and just got a pre-II reject from MSU CHM. I'm just at a bit of a loss. I know that this process is opaque, that it's multifactorial and largely random, and that later applicants (I was complete in mid-September here) are at a disadvantage. However, I've already been admitted to one DO (similar admissions stats), waiting on several other DO interview results, got a hold at Drexel (better stats), and completed a phone II at WMU (better stats and more selective in general). I have one reach school rejection - otherwise, just waiting on about a dozen more apps.

I certainly don't want to bitch and moan, as I'm very happy and excited to be holding an acceptance anywhere! I just want to get a hold on what might have been the nail in the coffin for my chances at MSU. I love the school and felt that my secondaries here were some of my strongest, most heartfelt essays. I'm an in-state student with a solid academic record from a top midwest school and rock-solid ECs and LORs. I want to go into primary care, and I know that MSU touts its chops as a PCP-churner. Is MSU really high on URM? Research? I certainly doubt it given my lower than average GPA, but is there any chance that yield protection is in play here? Just want to gauge how pessimistic I should be for other schools, as this is the least competitive in-state program I applied to...

I appreciate any and all feedback or comments. Thanks in advance for anyone who decides to sate my neuroticism and I apologize if this is weirdly verbose!
========================================================================================
Goal: Residency in Internal Medicine - most likely looking to pursue primary care but open to sub-specialties of IM, as well as FM, Peds.
State of Residence: Michigan
ORM
Undergrad: Top-20 (logo is a dead giveaway), graduated 2015 with a B.A. in their Great Books program and a minor in Business Economics.
Postbac: Harvard Extension, one year (31 credits of work), finished 2018
Stats: LM 68+. Skewed High MCAT, Low GPA, but with good science upward trend and good undergraduate major GPA.
Clinical Experience: 2.5 years as a medical scribe, became a manager within 3 months and recently a regional manager, have been implementing new programs in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, and Peds, with experience working in Uro, Ortho, ID, PM&R, and Derm. Also worked as an implementation consultant for Epic Systems for about 8 months. Worked while I was in college and postbac.
Volunteering: 100 hours assistant coach of a basketball team (though this was in high school...), 70 hours hospice volunteering (much more recent), 30 hours with a religious group; Recently started a 200 hour-program in the coming 12 months through a suicide hotline outreach program (wrote about this in a secondary).
Research: ~500 hours spent on my senior thesis, but this was humanities research (Modernist literature and Sociology); ~30 hours spent as a volunteer data digger on a project through Harvard Medical School's Program in Global Surgery and Social Change. No publications.
Personal Statement: Personal struggles with anxiety, depression, panic disorder; sickness of family members also profoundly influenced my desire to work in medicine.
Secondaries: discussed hobbies, passions (including basketball, literature) and how these tie into my passion for medicine and healing.
LOR: 6 letters: Postbac committee letter, Thesis advisor, Chem prof, Hospice volunteer coordinator, Regional manager of my scribe company (paid employment), MD I scribed for in Family medicine.
Complete at most schools in Mid-August, but finished a few in Mid-September.
Med schools are odd in the way they select people and there’s really no concrete evidence you’re going to get here as to why you got rejected. I would definitely talk to someone on the admissions team to ask why you got rejected because they’d be more than happy to go over your application with you! Good luck because it seems you definitely have a lot of other options for schools!
 
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Personal Statement: Personal struggles with anxiety, depression, panic disorder

Not really qualified to tell you what you did right or wrong, but I would imagine this could be a difficult this to spin into a positive direction, given how mentally taxing medical school can be.
 
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Not really qualified to tell you what you did right or wrong, but I would imagine this could be a difficult this to spin into a positive direction, given how mentally taxing medical school can be.

Definitely a valid point here! I had a good academic turnaround and three-year professional career after the aforementioned struggles with mental health, so I felt that my essay demonstrated resilience and a passion to help others like I was helped by my GP, but I totally see what you mean about "spin." I think that's definitely worth thinking about!
 
Med schools are odd in the way they select people and there’s really no concrete evidence you’re going to get here as to why you got rejected. I would definitely talk to someone on the admissions team to ask why you got rejected because they’d be more than happy to go over your application with you! Good luck because it seems you definitely have a lot of other options for schools!

Thanks! It's frustrating because in both rejection emails I've gotten, they explicitly state that they cannot provide any specific details regarding any admissions decision, so I can't really get that personal feedback. But maybe not every school is like that!
 
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Definitely a valid point here! I had a good academic turnaround and three-year professional career after the aforementioned struggles with mental health, so I felt that my essay demonstrated resilience and a passion to help others like I was helped by my GP, but I totally see what you mean about "spin." I think that's definitely worth thinking about!
Have you received any II?
 
Have you received any II?

MD Schools: 13 Apps, 2 Rejections, 1 Hold, Waiting on 10
DO Schools: 5 Apps, 4 II, Attended 3 (1 Acceptance, 2 Pending Decisions), 1 has not gotten back to me (MSUCOM, ironically)

Given that MSU CHM was what I felt was the closest thing to a safety MD for me (MCAT >20 percentile points above their mean), I have the sinking feeling that I may go 5/5 on DO II and 0/13 on MD II. It just feels like DOs are just more likely to forgive life experiences and early academic struggles than MDs. However, I really like the DO acceptance that I've been offered and am very grateful for the opportunity!
 
Hi all,

Sorry if this was answered earlier in the thread.
I was complete mid September and just had my status changed to "hold" today.
Is this a step in the right direction? What is the time between hold and next communication usually like?
 
Where are you seeing this hold status? Is it the application status section? I am OOS, complete late aug and still on Application Complete - Forwarded for Review... so trying to see if i'm missing anything.
+1
 
Where are you seeing this hold status? Is it the application status section? I am OOS, complete late aug and still on Application Complete - Forwarded for Review... so trying to see if i'm missing anything.
Yes - portal status section but I think forwarded for review still is better than hold
 
Hi all,

Sorry if this was answered earlier in the thread.
I was complete mid September and just had my status changed to "hold" today.
Is this a step in the right direction? What is the time between hold and next communication usually like?
They do a good job of explaining Hold on the MSU CHM applicant section of their web page. I just got placed on hold. Not feeling good about it. But still hopeful.
 
Thanks. Here's what the page says for anyone wondering:

When we have received all of your application materials, the Admissions Review Committee will carefully evaluate your entire application. When this detailed evaluation is complete, one of three things will happen:

  1. You will be invited to interview. If you are invited to interview you will receive an invitation by email. Invitations to interview are extended first to applicants who are residents of Michigan and to those who closely fit the mission of the college.
  2. Your application will be deemed unsuccessful and will receive no further consideration
  3. Your application will be placed on Hold for Interview Decision
It is very common to hold applications for an interview decision, for comparison to the larger applicant pool that evolves over the year. This may significantly delay a decision to extend an invitation to interview or reject the application. If your application is on hold for an interview decision, our admissions process is structured so that seats remain available for those applicants who interview later in the year.


... So basically if you're on hold consider yourself in the medical school friend zone. They don't love you. But they don't hate you either. Still holding on to the hope.
 
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Were you on hold for only a week then? I was put on hold today and it additionally said applicants are normally reviewed again in January for II. Did your hold status say the same?
Right. I was on hold for a week and then got the II. My status did say the same about the whole January thing, so I was shocked to get the II so soon.
 
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Right. I was on hold for a week and then got the II. My status did say the same about the whole January thing, so I was shocked to get the II so soon.
That’s great! Good luck!
 
Received an II yesterday, withdrew today after some thought. Best of luck to everyone waiting!!!
 
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Received an II yesterday, withdrew today after some thought. Best of luck to everyone waiting!!!
When did you submit your app, if you don't mind me asking? I finished late September and haven't heard/seen anything yet.
 
Hold yesterday, complete 8/23. Can't think of anything wrong with my app other than going to michigan for undergrad, the rivalry just got real...
 
Is there a step in between "forwarded for preliminary review" and a hold/rejection/interview? Mine was forwarded for prelim review on 9/13 and still haven't heard anything. Thanks!
 
Is there a step in between "forwarded for preliminary review" and a hold/rejection/interview? Mine was forwarded for prelim review on 9/13 and still haven't heard anything. Thanks!
Mine was "forwarded for preliminary review" since August 31st, radio silence since then.
 
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Are there any Canadians on here still waiting for a II? Based on my understanding MSU does take a few international candidates (presumably all Canadians?) every year.
 
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Same, I feel like the consensus is that no news is good news here... since we have seen several pre-II rejections? Does anyone have some insights about this? I've on "forwarded for review" since August, OOS.
I'm not even past preliminary review though...
 
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Oops yeah I meant "Forwarded for Preliminary Review". Not sure if there's anything in between that and the hold status people are speaking of.
According to the post above yours,
Seems like the status doesn't have any significance?
 
OOS. Complete 7/21 for review. Hold status on portal a few weeks ago.....
 
Have any OOS applicants gotten waitlisted or rejected post interview?
 
Also. The daily struggle of wanting to follow their twitter admissions page but at the same time not wanting them to see ur twitte
Yeah wasn’t sure some ppl got calls on Tuesday in the afternoon for acceptance
oh foreeal. Dang then idk then haha
 
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